Storytelling colleague Limor Shiponi from Isreal has done it again -- shared a slice of real life experience working with stories within a company.

This is a short story with lots to think about -- namely how working with stories in organizations opens up meaningful conversations. And usually what is shared would have remained hidden or unsaid.

And the other piece to think about in this story is how leadership can change and grow just by opening the door to storytelling. In this case, working on a company blog.

And then the last place to reflect on with this article is the role of the story practitioner. As you read Limor's story, what qualities and skills were present that created a positive outcome?

And then of course, the story itself proves how such a short piece can pack such a rich punch.

If anyone is interested in digging into narrative practice, experiencing how complexity can be unwound with short but rich stories, and how all of this impacts both business and leadership, then click through the link at the end of the article to the Storyevolution conference coming up in May in Washington DC. Limor will be facilitating.

All Industries Are Rushing Towards MobileMarch 02, 2015If you have a website, you definitely want it to open up well on mobile, and you should even go beyond mobile browsing when it comes to your loyal clients.

I'm a huge Star Trek fan. I've watched all the episodes, the movies, spinoffs, and reruns. I am so sad at the death last week of Leonard Nimoy who played the character Spock.

As I was trolling the internet for remembrances, imagine my delight when I stumbled across this Audi ad featuring Nimoy and the younger version of Spock played by Zachary Quinto in the latest Star Trek movies.

Forget the Budweiser Super Bowl ads! This is now my all-time favorite. It's fabulous storytelling and not to be missed. We kept playing it this weekend and laughing again and again. There are great lessons here on business storytelling, too: humor, drama, surprise, great characters, etc.

If you've never heard of Star Trek (as I'm experiencing in my workshops these days) you might not get all the jokes. If you are a fan, you will have a great time.

Interesting video from business consultant Karen Dietz. This Audi ad is prices as the old Mr. Spock (the late Leonard Nimoy) matches wits with the new Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) in this funny commercial. Priceless! Aloha, Russ.

Data is crucial. However, displaying a chunk of plain data can be monotonous. Infographics visualize plain data and make it visually more appealing. Data turned into infographic has a higher potential to go viral and be effective. While many of us are designers who can design amazing infographs, Infographic Generators can come in handy to Designers and non-designers alike. They can be a time saving resource. So here is a list of 17 fantastic Infographic Generators I compiled together:...

There’s nothing more powerful than speaking with buyers to learn what they find valuable. Discover the top five things that buyers want from your content to help them and how to craft specific messages that get you on the short list.

Consider yourself something of an expert in digital marketing? Think you already know SMM trends a year out?

Then I’ve got a challenge for you.

Take a look at Signal’s new infographic, “The 8 Biggest Digital Marketing Trends in 2015,” to see a list of advanced digital marketing trends that may surprise you. I’ve shared the entire infographic at the bottom of this post. Below are the standout insights that every expert or would-be expert should know for 2015…

At the Nueva School in Hillsborough, Calif., design thinking is built into students' and teachers' everyday lives. The process, which is an approach to learning that includes considering real-world problems, research, analysis, building by hand, and lots of experimentation, is documented and shared among staff.

You’re not creating ads for interstate billboards, nor are you sticking your logo on the side of a sports arena. And you’re not really in the business of creating high-level brand awareness through video, either.This is content marketing. You’re all about producing high-quality content assets on an ongoing basis to attract, engage, and convert your audience.The more you can get your content to support other content assets, the greater your impact. Which is why using video as...

Do you use marketing automation? Many small businesses still have not tried marketing automation and do not know the benefits it provides. Other businesses have tried one or two marketing automation tools then decided it did not work for them.

One thing people do not realize is that every marketing automation solution is different. You may have to try several solutions before you find the one that is ideal for your business. Most solutions offer free trials for a limited time so you can see how they work for you.

If you have nothing to say, say nothing. Nothing is better than something irrelevant. Looking foolish on social media by making comments just for the sake of posting is off brand and will hurt you more than help you.

Sacha Greif explains how to build your own product hunt with Telescope and Meteor. As Product Hunt’s success has shown, there’s a big demand for websites that help us deal with information overload by streamlining and centralizing content.

Selling is hard. Luckily, some cool new sales automation tools are making life easier for today's road warriors, reps, and outcriers.

malek's insight:

Assistant.to: Speeding up appointment setting

How much time do you waste going back and forth trying to set up meeting times? Assistant.to neatly solves this problem by allowing you to populate the bottom of your email post with free meeting slots you’ve selected from Google Calendar. When a prospect clicks on a time, a meeting is automatically scheduled and you both receive confirmations.

Learn 8 best practices for a stand-out Facebook cover photo, and get a free template to create your own.

malek's insight:

Since your profile picture is on left, you want to add some balance to your Facebook cover photo design by having the focus of the image be on the right. Take a look at these cover photos -- which one looks more aesthetically pleasing?

Sharing your scoops to your social media accounts is a must to distribute your curated content. Not only will it drive traffic and leads through your content, but it will help show your expertise with your followers.

Integrating your curated content to your website or blog will allow you to increase your website visitors’ engagement, boost SEO and acquire new visitors. By redirecting your social media traffic to your website, Scoop.it will also help you generate more qualified traffic and leads from your curation work.

Distributing your curated content through a newsletter is a great way to nurture and engage your email subscribers will developing your traffic and visibility.
Creating engaging newsletters with your curated content is really easy.